Raising walls, and community: Heart of Oregon Corps, Thistle & Nest celebrate affordable housing milestone in Prineville

KTVZ on October 17, 2025

KTVZ

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — Heart of Oregon Corps and Thistle & Nest just celebrated a major milestone in their partnership to expand affordable housing in Prineville: the wall-raising of a new two-unit dwelling that will provide safe, quality homes for local families.

The milestone was marked with a small community celebration on Wednesday, as partners, youth participants, and supporters came together to see the walls lifted into place and honor the impact of this collaborative effort, the two organizations said in a news release Thursday that continues below: 

The partnership leverages the unique strengths of each organization.

Heart of Oregon Corps, a local leader in youth workforce development, equips young people with hands-on construction experience, career skills, and mentorship.

Thistle & Nest brings deep expertise in affordable housing development, using a community land trust model that makes homeownership attainable and sustainable for the local workforce while ensuring long-term affordability for generations to come. 

“Raising these walls is about more than construction—it’s about raising community,” said Shelley Aube, YouthBuild Program Director at Heart of Oregon Corps. “Our youth gain real-world skills while contributing directly to addressing Central Oregon’s housing needs. This project exemplifies how community collaboration can create lasting impact—both in the buildings we construct and the people we empower.” 

Heart of Oregon youth participants are actively involved in the construction process, gaining valuable trade skills, industry-recognized certifications, and real-world experience. Thistle & Nest provides the technical guidance and development expertise that make these homes possible. Together, the organizations are building not only structures but stronger community connections, workforce pathways, and opportunities for local families to thrive. 

“Working alongside Heart of Oregon Corps allows us to create homes that are meaningful on multiple levels,” said Amy Warren, Executive Director at Thistle & Nest. “Families gain stable, affordable housing, youth gain career experience, and the community benefits from a skilled, empowered workforce.” 

The shared-wall townhome style unit, slated for completion in mid-2026, marks an important step toward addressing the region’s affordable housing challenges and showcases the transformative impact of strategic partnerships.  

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About Heart of Oregon Corps Heart of Oregon Corps empowers 225 local youth ages 16-24 annually through employment, job training, education, and service to Central Oregon communities. To learn more, visit www.heartoforegon.org.  

About Thistle & Nest Thistle & Nest is committed to providing services, support, purchase opportunities and stewardship for buyers of affordable owner-occupied housing. To learn more, visit www.thistleandnest.org.  

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CID hopes downtown Columbia maintains historic character as MU seeks developers for entertainment district

KMIZ on October 17, 2025

Euphenie Andre

COLUMBI, Mo. (KMIZ)

The University of Missouri is looking for developers interested in helping create a new entertainment and hospitality district on campus a project aimed at boosting the local economy and enhancing the gameday experience for fans.

The university said its goal is to create an experience similar to the University of Tennessee and Iowa State University. There will be three development zones that the university has designated for developers:

Development Zone No. 1: North Campus/Central Business District

Fifth and Locust streets north – .70 acres

Fifth and Locust streets south – .80 acres

Tenth and Locust streetd – .50 acres

Hitt and Paquin streetd – .70 acres

University Avenue .70 acres

Development Zone No. 2: Campus Core

Flat Branch Creek – 12.3 acres

Stadium Boulevard and Tiger Avenue – 6 acres

Stadium Boulevard and College Avenue – 9 acres

Development Zone #3: Athletic Sports Complex

Hearnes Complex – 34 acres

Gustin Golf Course – 230 acres

Downtown Community Improvement District Executive Director Nickie Davis told ABC 17 News that maintaining downtown Columbia’s historic character will be an important factor moving forward.

“We are registered as a historic downtown. So keeping those vibes, if you will, would be great. Not bringing in something that looks totally opposite of what we have down here would be fantastic. But, you know, it’s always cool to see a new, interesting building go up,” she said.

Since the project is still in its early stages, most business owners in downtown Columbia told ABC 17 News on Thursday they didn’t have any comment just yet.

However, Davis said she’s excited to see the university’s growth and supports creating more opportunities for the community.

“Hopefully that involves a lot of new small business, local business that would go into those areas,” Davis said. “I think it’s great. That’s super exciting. We all know we’re a growing city, so any more added places that people can go to have fun, safe, fun is fantastic.”

As of Wednesday, the university is seeking potential developers to build new structures such as hotels, restaurants, housing and an entertainment district all within the three potential development zones near campus.

Davis said there are key differences when it comes to how these entertainment zones may operate.

“Entertainment districts, as I understand, their noise ordinance would be different than ours. Their open containers would be different than ours.” Davis said.

According to university spokesman Christopher Ave, developers will be responsible for all financial aspects of their proposed projects. While MU isn’t planning to use its own funds or bonding capacity, the university isn’t opposed to developers issuing bonds if needed.

The University of Missouri will hold a pre-submittal meeting for interested developers at 1 p.m. Nov. 10 and will continue to accept applications until Jan. 9, 2026.

MU freshman Matthew Slaughter believes the idea could bring more life to downtown Columbia.

“I feel like that would be really beneficial for more engagement for downtown life especially. I know juniors and seniors live more downtown, so it’s a good way to involve them more down there,” Slaughter said.

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City of Redmond seeks applicants for committee, commission openings

KTVZ on October 17, 2025

KTVZ

Update: Adding video

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The city of Redmond said Thursday it’s seeking applications to fill current vacancies on several city committees and commissions.

Here’s the city’s full news release:

Applications for youth ex-officio positions are also being accepted. Youth ex-officio positions were created to encourage youth involvement in city business and to create an opportunity for them to voice their concerns and ideas on community issues. Applications are available online at www.redmondoregon.gov and will be accepted until positions are filled.

The following committees and commissions are seeking to fill open seats:

Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Residency: Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) 1 position w/terms expiring 2028 (term starts right away) 1 youth ex-officio position w/term expiring 2026

Downtown Urban Renewal Advisory Committee Residency: None 1 position w/terms expiring 2029 (term starts January 1, 2026) 1 youth ex-officio position w/term expiring 2026

Housing and Community Development Committee Residency: Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) w/Specific Seat Requirements 1 position w/terms expiring 2026 (term starts right away) 1 position w/terms expiring 2028 (term starts right away) 1 youth ex-officio position w/term expiring 2026

Nuisance Appeals Board Residency: UGB 1 position w/terms expiring 2026 (term starts January 1, 2026) 1 position (Alternate Member) w/terms expiring 2026 (term starts right away) 1 position (Alternate Member) w/terms expiring 2027 (term starts January 1, 2026)

Tourism & Lodging Advisory Committee Residency: None 1 position w/terms expiring 2029 (term starts January 1, 2026)

To learn more about the City of Redmond’s commissions and committees please visit our website at www.redmondoregon.gov/government/commissions-committees. Applications are available online, via email or may be obtained by contacting Redmond City Hall at 541-923-7710.

If you have any questions regarding the application process or serving on a city committee or commission, please contact Kaya Duddy, Deputy City Recorder at 541-923-7755.

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Schlude say police have limited options for calls about homelessness; RATI director points at City Council for ‘lack of action’

KMIZ on October 17, 2025

Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) 

Following calls from University of Missouri System President Mun Choi to address homelessness in downtown Columbia, police say their options remain limited.

At a September press conference, Choi urged city leaders to consider a loitering ordinance and take steps to “clean up encampments” and tackle homelessness.

Columbia Police Chief Jill Schlude said during a meeting on Wednesday that most of the department’s calls related to homelessness are for trespassing.

“I think it’s important for people to understand that the police department, we’re not policing housing status, we’re policing behavior,” Schlude said during a “Let’s Talk Local” event at Missouri United Methodist Church. “So we’re responding to what people are doing that is not within the law, and just the way the world is right now, we get called to handle a lot of things that really aren’t things that we handle. So mental health issues, addiction issues, things of that nature.”

Schlude said roughly 86% of the calls police receive about the unhoused are for trespassing. She added that officers are often left with few options when responding to mental health or substance abuse calls.

“Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of options for mental health care,” Schlude said. “We can take them to MUPC, their bed space is extremely limited. We do have some resources over at Burrell. They have a 24-hour facility now, but a lot of that requires voluntary [action]. So people have to be voluntary. We can’t force people to go into treatment.”

She added the city is not trying to criminalize homelessness, but rather address behaviors that break the law or cause concern. City Manager De’Carlon Seewood said the city has also seen inconsistencies in how businesses respond to the unhoused population and is working with business leaders to create more uniform downtown policies.

The city is also asking local businesses to sign “letters of enforcement” allowing police to act on trespassing issues.

“I’m in no way dissuading people from calling, but if someone calls and says ‘There’s a man standing in the middle of the street talking to himself, yelling. Talking to people that aren’t there.’ That’s concerning to people right? At the end of the day, if there’s no law violation, our options are very limited,” Schlude said.

John Trapp, executive director of Room at the Inn, says there is no solution to the problem except adding more affordable housing, an issue that he says would still take more than a decade to “dig out of the hole we are currently in” when it comes to the housing crisis. 

Trapp added that part of the issue is a lack of action from city leaders, saying the City Council is “willing to do anything except play around the edges.”

According to Trapp, “NIMBYs,” also known as people who hold the belief of “not in my back yard” hold inordinate power and “we do not have a council willing to stand up to them.” 

“We have a housing problem. And until we address that, we’re not going to make any headway addressing the homeless problem,” Trapp told ABC 17 News. “Property owners are the ones who vote. Nobody wants apartments in their neighborhood, and nobody wants cheap houses built to bring down their property values. So they are opposed to any new developments with them.”

Trapp said the city and local organizations are offering more services than ever before, but demand continues to outpace resources.

Trapp believes the Opportunity Campus, which is scheduled to open in June 2026, will help alleviate some of the strain. However, he says, if the problem continues to be ignored, the Opportunity Campus will quickly outpace the increased capacity. 

Trapp said addressing zoning and regulatory barriers is key to building more affordable housing.

“We need to reassess all of our zoning, make it easier to build, and we need to decrease regulations to make building cheaper,” he said. “Regulations drive up the cost of development. If a developer can’t make a profit on an affordable house or apartment, they’re not going to build one. They’re going to build McMansions because there’s profit to be had.”

Trapp also said the biggest reason for the increase in homelessness in the city dates back over a decade. 

“We had a housing bubble in 2008, and when it popped, investors bought up all the houses,” Trapp said. “The price of housing didn’t come down because large investment companies bought the houses instead and raised rents.”

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Madras sex offender gets federal prison term for trying to lure ‘teen girl’ who actually was undercover deputy

KTVZ on October 17, 2025

KTVZ

(Update: Adding video)

EUGENE, Ore. (KTVZ) — A Madras man who is a registered sex offender was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison Thursday for trying to persuade a purported “child” – actually an undercover Deschutes County sheriff’s deputy – to meet him for sex and to send him sexually explicit material.

Ernesto Torres, 45, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison and a 20-year term of supervised release, prosecutors said in a news release that continues below.

According to court documents, starting in July of 2024, Torres used Facebook Messenger to chat with an apparent 15-year-old girl. The “child” was an undercover deputy with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.

In the ensuing months, Torres requested sexual images, discussed sexual acts he wished to perform, and tried to set up a meeting with the decoy child. Last Dec. 1, Torres drove from Madras to Redmond to meet with the child. In the chat records, Torres expressed a desire to take the child to a cabin roughly 50 miles away, they said.

Eighteen days later, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned an indictment charging Torres with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and attempting to use a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct.

On Jan. 10 of this year, Torres was located and arrested by agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) pursuant to a federal warrant. On July 15, he pleaded guilty to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.

This case was investigated by HSI and the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Matthew Nelson, Special Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon, and William M. McLaren, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon.

Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to contact HSI at (866) 347-2423 or submit a tip online at report.cybertip.org.

Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children.

Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed.

To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.

The case was brought in collaboration with Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.

Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit  www.justice.gov/psc.

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Bend kindergarteners learn to ride through new ‘All Kids Bike’ program

KTVZ on October 17, 2025

Jillian Fortner

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Brand new bikes were unveiled at R.E. Jewell Elementary in southeast Bend Thursday afternoon, kicking off a new program for kindergarteners.

The school introduced its All Kids Bike program. It’s a national initiative that makes learning to ride part of P.E. class.

Funded by a $9,000 donation from Cascade Natural Gas and the MDU Resources Foundation, the program includes training, an eight-lesson curriculum, 24 Strider bikes with helmets, and storage racks.

After a short presentation, students hopped on their new Strider bikes for their first ride.

“They were super excited,” said Don Moore, regional director for Cascade Natural Gas. “They’re going to learn how to ride here in the gym then eventually put some pedals on and have some fun together.”

All Kids Bike gives hundreds of thousands of children each year the chance to learn a life-changing skill that supports physical development, boosts mental health, and builds confidence.

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Idaho Falls Zoo’s kicks off annual ‘Boo at the Zoo’

KIFI on October 16, 2025

Ariel Jensen

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – An ensemble of colorful costumed characters descended upon Tautphaus Park for the open night of the annual Boo at the Zoo. The Halloween event helps raise funds for the Idaho Falls Zoo and marks the end of the season for the year.

This time of year, the zoo is decked out with lights and filled with local vendors, where you can walk around with friends and family to see all the animals in a merry, not scary environment.

The fun starts on October 16th and continues through the 17th and 18th from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.. For more information or to donate, click HERE.

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The El Paso Symphony Orchestra’s 95th season underway

KVIA on October 16, 2025

Armando Ramirez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)- The El Paso Symphony Orchestra is celebrating it’s milestone of 95 years in bringing performances to the borderland.

Their series began with the gold medal winner of the 2025 Van Cliburn International Pian Competition, Aristo Sham who joined the they orchestra for Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor.

“I am excited to invite you to the El Paso Symphony Orchestra’s 95th Anniversary Season—a significant milestone that celebrates our shared love for music. Music has the unique ability to bring us together, creating moments of connection that resonate long after the final note has played,” Music Director Bohuslav Rattay says.

The symphony orchestra is set to bring their next program titled “Space Odyssey” to the Plaza theater this coming Friday and Saturday, October 17-18. Pieces like John Williams’ Adventures on Earth from E.T., followed by Eric Whitacre’s piece, “Deep Field: The Impossible Magnitude of Our Universe,” are set to be apart of the program.

The Symphony Orchestra will also continue its film series by bring “Jurassic Park in Concert” November 8 at 7 pm, bringing the score from the film to life.

“A Christmas Fantasia,” the symphony’s Christmas concert will be the end of the first half of the season and will be featuring the UTEP Choral Union. The concert takes place 7:30 PM on December 5-6.

For more information on ticket prices and future programming go to the El Paso Symphony Orchestra’s website at https://www.epso.org/.

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County Commissioner to hold public hearing on Fire Code, Outdoor Business Order

KVIA on October 16, 2025

Nichole Gomez

El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV)- El Paso County Commissioners will consider a countywide fire code and outdoor business order proposed by Commissioner Jackie Butler. Since 2019, there have been 14 fires at outdoor businesses, such as salvage yards, scrap metal facilities, and recycling plants, according to the Office of Commissioner Butler.

“El Paso County is one of the only major counties in Texas without a unified fire code. That current system leaves our Emergency Services Districts (ESDs) and our public works teams with uneven tools to prevent and enforce safety standards,” said Commissioner Jackie Butler.

Residents, business owners, and first responders are encouraged to attend the Oct. 20, 2025, public hearing to share their opinions and ask questions about the proposed fire code and outdoor business order.

https://www.epcounty.com/comm1

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ABC-7 at 4: Financial Planning Month – Time to Strengthen Your Retirement Strategy

KVIA on October 16, 2025

Nichole Gomez

El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV) October is Financial Planning Month, and it’s a great reminder to check in on your financial goals — especially if you’re nearing retirement. I’m joined today by fiduciary financial advisor Brian Mirau, President of Mirau Capital Management.

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